


Study Night

by Torra



Series: Cub Scout AU [2]
Category: Riptide (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-27
Updated: 2009-11-27
Packaged: 2017-10-03 21:15:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Torra/pseuds/Torra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick's parents are out of town for the weekend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Study Night

**Author's Note:**

> I've tagged this underage, but they're _BOTH_ underage. Both characters are sixteen and in high school.
> 
> Huge thanks to my betas Tinx_R and Catyah, and extra thanks to Catyah for the title, but especially to Tinx_R who not only inspired the first one due to her [Cap And Yap](http://tinx-r.livejournal.com/30145.html) of the ep, but who liked the first fic enough to ask for a second one. So the rest of these fics are entirely her fault. ;-) Any mistakes left in, though, are of course my own.

The door opened and Mrs. Ryder gave Cody a bright, if somewhat harried, smile. "Oh, Cody, Nick said you were going to come over tonight." She opened the door more fully and waved him in. "English test?"

Cody gave her his best 'good boy' smile, "Not 'til next week, it's calculus tonight. Maybe the English if we get to it."

"Well, don't work too hard, it's the weekend." Sylvia shrugged on a tan summer coat, as her husband came up behind her in the narrow hallway.

"Hard work is good for a boy, Sylvia." He gave Cody a stern look, "Your family's money won't get you everywhere in life, boy, you remember that. You're a hard worker, and a good kid, but you can't ever just sit back and forget that."

Cody ducked his head and nodded, "Yes, sir, I know. I don't intend to live off my parents, sir."

"Oh leave the kid be, Stewart, he's a good boy." She gathered up her purse as her husband harrumphed and picked up their suitcases. "There are a couple of cold Cokes in the refrigerator, why don't you take one to Nick. I think I heard him get out of the shower a few minutes ago, I'm not sure he's expecting you yet."

"No, I finished my regular homework, so I came early."

"Just the Cokes, remember. Not the beer." Mr. Ryder gave Cody a sharp look, and rolled his eyes when his wife slapped his shoulder. "What? They're sixteen and have the house to themselves. Even good boys like to sneak into their parent's liquor cabinets, given half a chance." He gave Cody another stern look, "But not you two."

"No, sir." Cody knew that Nick's parents really _did_ like him, even if they didn't get along with his parents (a feeling which was mutual), so he didn't take the gruff warnings too seriously.

"Why don't you go on up. We'll be back sometime tomorrow."

"Have a good trip, Mr. and Mrs. Ryder." Cody gave them both wide, happy smiles and waved to them as Mr. Ryder loaded their suitcases into the station wagon. After a detour to the kitchen for the drinks, he jogged up the staircase to Nick's room, pushing the door open with his foot. Once he could see in, though, he had to pause to admire the view. The bag slung over one shoulder slid to the floor, immediately forgotten.

Nick had clearly just gotten out of the shower. His hair was still wet and dripping a little down his back, his only clothing a pair of worn blue sweats riding low on his hips, with their school's initials emblazoned on the left cuff. Cody couldn't tear his eyes away, watching a drop of water trickle down his chest, curving around his pectorals before finally dripping down onto his stomach.

Nick had a large pair of headphones on, which were in turn hooked up to the hi-fi next to the bed and he had his math book open, braced across his knees, his bare feet planted wide on the mattress. Next to him were his notes, spread across from himself up to his pillows. Cody wondered how long he could get away with staring before Nick noticed his presence in the doorway.

The two hadn't been able to spend as much time together during the last week as they usually liked to. He imagined they would both have been wracked with nerves and second-guessing if they hadn't spent that whole night awake and playing with each other; an easy, enjoyable time spent learning each other and what they liked outside of their regular bounds of friendship. They'd been exhausted the next day, but it had been worth it. So worth it.

He had expected things to get at least a little awkward between them the next day, and maybe it was just the fact that they _hadn't_ slept, that they'd spend the time talking as well as exploring each other, that made it so they weren't. He was pretty sure, though, that if they had slept, then when they woke up, they would have been totally lost.

He was _incredibly_ grateful that sex actually _gave_ Nick energy, rather then knocking him out as it did with Cody.

In the week between, they'd seen each other at school, of course, but Nick had been swamped with his predicted tests, as well as a late running match at a rather distant school on Wednesday night. That meant they'd only seen each other _outside_ of school _in private_ the once, late on Tuesday night. Cody had hung around during Nick's wrestling practice, and afterwards, he and Nick had driven Nick's car out to their favorite spot on the edge of the woods outside of town. They'd spent hours there as kids, finding glens and trees to play in, and even gone there as teenagers for some quiet time to hang out, and occasionally sneak a beer. This time, however, they'd found a spot off the road shaded by trees and a cloudy night and spent more then an hour jerking each other off and laughing into each other's kisses.

Cody had dated before, of course, as had Nick, but neither one had ever slept with their dates. Cody could never remember being so at ease with someone in the back seat of a car before. On his dates, he'd always been full of nerves and questioning his every movement. He was good at covering it, of course, but he never felt _comfortable_ going any further then a quick grope of a soft breast during some heavy petting. And never had those make out sessions with the girls he'd dated been so filled with laughter and playful teasing. At least not of the enjoyable kind of teasing.

The back seat of Nick's beat up old Riv would never be a really _comfortable_ place to sit, let alone to have sex, but Cody would never complain about it again for as long as he lived. In fact, he doubted he'd ever be able to sit back there without getting hard again! That car had definitely gone from "Nick's beloved first car, so put up with it for his sake", to "that wonderful, incredible car that they could use to sneak away together (and have sex in)". He'd love that car as much as Nick did to his dying day. He might even put in an argument for _really_ fixing it up and making it worth keeping, rather then selling it off for parts to buy a better car down the line.

Cody felt his body reacting to the memories and grinned wolfishly. He debated for a few minutes on how to let Nick know he was there: should he sneak up on him, and run the cold bottle of soda up his back, like he would have before? Or should he lean over and kiss him senseless like he had always _wanted_ to before?

Pushing away from the door frame, he closed the distance between them quickly, before Nick could react, and swooped down fast when Nick turned his head at the movement, sealing their lips together in an instant. The kiss went from fast, to deep and Nick's hands spread across both his hips to pull him in closer. Which was exactly what Cody wanted, and he took the opportunity to bring his left hand up and pressed the icy glass hard into Nick's lower back.

Nick yelped into the kiss, his whole body jerking as Cody ran the soda up along his spine. Cody finally had to break the kiss to fall into helpless laughter.

Nick growled and used his hands on Cody's hips to twist him closer, wrapping a leg around Cody's knees and toppling him to the bed, the headphones falling off in the movement.

"Think that was funny, do you?" Nick bit hard and pleasurably at Cody's neck.

Cody couldn't stop laughing as the two devolved into a quick wrestling match, rolling across the books and papers, the sodas rolling across the room as they were dropped and kicked aside. They were both laughing by the time they rolled to a stop and their movements eased from struggles for power and dominance, to moans and thrusts and licks against skin. Making out with a three ring binder digging into your kidney wasn't the most pleasant way they'd done it, though, and as Cody was on the bottom, he finally pulled away long enough to drag the offending school supplies out, and threw them aside.

Nick laughed, and rolled to the side, lying along next to him, before giving in and helping to shovel papers and books and pencils to the floor.

Task done, Cody rolled on his side to face him, and the two eased into each other's arms again with lazy kisses and lingering strokes of their fingers. Cody was finding it hard to keep his hands off of Nick's well muscled sides and arms. The baseball he'd played though middle school had toned his arms, but it was the football he'd taken up in freshman year that had led to his clearly defined chest and stomach. The fact that Nick had also picked up wrestling this spring was doing wonders for his legs, too, and he couldn't _wait_ for a close up view of them. Cody took the same cares and measures to work out and stay fit as the next guy his age, but honestly most of the reason he ran and lifted the weights he did, was so that Nick wouldn't think him flabby or soft when they had reason to undress together, or go swimming in the summer. Their tent had been mostly dark, so he hadn't gotten as good a chance to _look_ at Nick that night, and they hadn't had the opportunity to strip in the car, so this was the first time Cody was getting to look as much as he wanted while the light still shone though Nick's window across the room. He couldn't help but keep moving his hand along the lines of muscles and bones, and Nick certainly wasn't complaining.

Nick, meanwhile, had settled in to lick and suck at Cody's neck where it met the shoulder, his hands around Cody's sides to cup his ass, giving the occasional squeeze when Cody's fingers strayed to a nipple.

"I take it my parents are gone?" Nick finally murmured into Cody's collarbone.

Cody shifted so he could slide a leg between Nick's. "Heard them pull away as I was coming up the stairs. Any clue how long we have?"

Nick slid a hand up to start unbuttoning Cody's short sleeved shirt. "They planned to be back tomorrow evening for dinner, but I have a feeling Mom might talk him into staying an extra night so they can see the city. I saw her packing a nicer dress then she'd need for just a business dinner."

"So we might have the whole weekend?"

Nick flicked the final button though the hole and spread the shirt wide, "If we're lucky. They'll probably call and check in tomorrow morning, I'll see if I can't encourage the idea." He pulled his head up to smile and ask, "Do you think you can stay?"

"The whole weekend?" Cody sat up to pull the shirt off and tossed it aside before sliding Nick onto his back so he could lay on top of him. "I don't know, maybe if I play my cards right. They know I'm staying tonight, after all, we _do_ have a test to study for, and it is the end of the year, so finals are all next month..." he grinned widely.

Nick grinned and drew his hands up slowly along Cody's sides, causing him to shiver, and moan as Nick's fingers found his nipples. He'd found himself almost embarrassingly happy about Nick playing with his nipples. But since Nick seemed to enjoy playing with them so much, he tried not to let that embarrassment show. And really, it did feel incredibly good, so who _said_ men weren't supposed to be so sensitive there.

Cody leaned down for a few long, deep kisses. "So," he mused, "aside from studying, what _do_ you want to do this weekend?"

Nick gave him a wicked grin and waggled his eyebrows. Cody laughed hard, burying his face in Nick's shoulder. "Hey!" Nick did his best to sound offended.

Cody shook his head and kissed the feigned hurt away. "Dork."

"You love it."

Cody couldn't help it, the grin shifted into a smile and he kissed Nick a little more tenderly. Nick slid his arms up around to Cody's back and cradled him close, kissing back with the same gentleness. The two hadn't exactly _talked_ about what they were doing together, they just let it happen. Cody tried not to get flustered at how easily Nick could make him feel so warm inside with just a simple, teasing comment like that. He wondered if it was normal to feel this way about a guy. He expected you were supposed to with girls, but he never had. He'd never felt _at all_ with a girl the way he did around Nick. Nick just..._did_ something to him, something _inside_ him, and it made everything seem _normal_. Natural. Easy.

In the end, they ran out of breath, and Cody gave in to the urge to slide down a little, easing to the side and tucking his head under Nick's chin. He knew it must look like he was taking the girl's role with this position, but it just felt so wonderful to be wrapped in Nick, and held within Nick's strong and familiar arms, that he didn't care. Later he could decide if this was something his ego needed to freak out over, but right now he just wanted to concentrate on how wonderful it felt.

"You know, at some point we are going to have to actually talk about what we want, here." Nick said.

Cody frowned, "What do you mean by that?"

Nick shrugged his shoulder underneath Cody's cheek. "I mean...I don't know, I just...I don't want to do something that you're not expecting, or don't want, and make things uncomfortable between us. I mean, what if I try something you don't like? Or go too fast? We're both pretty new at this, and it's great, it's _incredible_, but..." he shrugged again, "I really don't wanna fuck it up by accident, you know, by doing something stupid without thinking?" He turned his head and sighed a kiss into Cody's hair. "This...this is important to me, Cody. I..." He trailed off again.

"You what?" Cody wanted to sit up, wanted to look at Nick when he asked it, but he wasn't sure Nick would want that. Instead he pulled his arms a little tighter around Nick's chest, sliding his leg more firmly across Nick's as well.

"I just..." He sighed. "I spent so long wanting this. I've, I mean, I--" he sighed then finally took a deep breath and said all in a rush, "I've been in love with you since we were kids, Cody. And I spent every day terrified that you were going to find out and hate me and never speak to me again. And now you want me too, and I can't believe it, and it's _wonderful_, but I'm still terrified that you're going to turn around and decide it's not what you want, and I'm going to lose this, and the friendship, and _everything_. And the thought of losing you, for _any_ reason, but especially because of just wanting you too much, or wanting the wrong thing, that leaves me feeling so _panicked_, Cody, I can hardly think through it."

It took Cody a few silent seconds to process all of that. He had trouble getting past the words "I've been in love with you since we were kids", and his brain just wanted to keep repeating that part, but once the rest settled in, Cody couldn't stop from sitting up and looking at Nick hard in the eye.

"No matter what else happens, Nick, we are _not_ going to lose this friendship. There is no way in hell I'm giving you up, even if this," he rested hand over Nick's heart, "somehow doesn't work, I will still be, and will _always_ be your best friend. I..." he shook his head and blinked hard, "I couldn't make it if I lost you, okay? You're not the only one who's spent the last week terrified of fucking this up and losing everything." He slid his hand up and cradled it around Nick's cheek. "But the fact is, I love you, too, Nick, and I...and I love you, too! I can't stand the thought of losing you any more than you can." He brushed a shaking thumb over Nick's lips and swallowed hard. "I love you."

He wasn't sure who made the move, but between one pounding heartbeat and the next, they were kissing, arms tight around each other, legs weaved together, every breath shared between them. He couldn't ever remember feeling this wild and free at the same time, not even during that night in the tent when he'd first seen it might actually be a possibility. To have actually said the words that had filled him with such _fear_ until now... He'd never even been able to say them to himself out loud, the danger of just _being_ in love with his best friend was too huge to even take the risk of them becoming too easy to let slip out by mistake. He'd spent so long learning to stuff the thought away and bury the feeling as deep as he could, that he wasn't sure he'd ever have been able to actually say the words to another person. And he'd never let himself dream of being able to say them to Nick, despite the fact of his regularly dreaming of hearing Nick say them to _him_.

This time when they rolled across the bed, there was no power play, no struggle for dominance. Every move was made simply to feel each other, to feel skin against skin and make that connection between them real. The heat between them built again, but this time it wasn't just about their bodies. The sex had been fantastic before, and the passion had built easily between them, but it felt deeper now, the emotion thicker in the air. Not only had he said the words, he had _felt_ them. He had no doubts about how Nick felt now, for the first time since he'd pressed the issue with Nick and felt that first, frantic kiss, he had absolutely no doubts that this was what Nick wanted, too. That they _both_ wanted this and were getting the exact same things from it. They both _wanted_ the same things from each other.

Cody wanted forever. More then just a teen's dream of spending their life with their high school sweetheart, he wanted to spend _forever_ with Nick, his best friend, the one person who had never let him down, never made him feel like less then what he was. The one person who had always cared about him unconditionally. And now he knew for a fact that is was deeper than he'd ever let himself wish. And he wanted it forever.

Where the stripping that night in the tent had been frantic, and the parting of clothes in the car had been minimal, tonight it was passionate. Every move made was made with confidence and the simple joy of unveiling more skin to touch and taste and pleasure. Cody didn't even remember losing his shoes or his socks, but he felt every tooth on his pants zipper part and separate. He looked up at Nick, balanced above him, and all he could think about was wanting everything.

"I want to do something." Nick was licking across Cody's chest, up towards his neck, even as Cody's hands pushed his sweats down so he could kick them off. "I don't know if I'll be any good, but I want to taste you, Cody. So badly. I think about it constantly." He bit along the tendon in Cody's neck. "Can I?"

Cody was having trouble thinking beyond his hands gripping tightly to Nick's ass where it met the thigh, pulling him in with tight thrusts. He finally manage a befuddled, "What?"

Nick pulled away and pushed his hands into either side of Cody's waistband and Cody absently lifted his hips as Nick pulled the pants down and finally off, leaving him spread out across the bed in just his red briefs. Nick groaned and immediately pressed his face downward, pressing his mouth open and hot against Cody's dick though the cloth.

Cody groaned, and buried both hands into Nick's hair, pulling him in closer.

Nick's fingers were at the elastic, fingering it, tugging at it without pulling it away. "Can I, Cody? Please? I want to taste you. So badly."

Cody finally realized what Nick had been trying to ask, and he felt his hips snapping upwards, wanting desperately to thrust into Nick's mouth as the images burst across his mind. "Yes, _God_ yes! Nick, please..."

Nick was already pulling his underwear off, getting it off as fast as he could, and he had his hand wrapped around Cody's cock and was stroking it even before Cody got his feet free. Cody spread his legs wide, wantonly, as Nick's hot breath teased along the delicate skin of his balls, his nose buried in Cody's hip.

They were both groaning, and Cody knew he wasn't going to last long, not like this. He wanted to tell Nick, to warn him how fast this was going to be, but he couldn't get anything past the moans and groans filling his throat. His mind tried to white out as he felt Nick's lips covering the head of his cock. He felt his hips thrusting before he could stop them, but Nick was ahead of him, his left arm already braced across his hips, pinning him down. Nick's mouth went deeper, covering more of his dick, and sucking as he pulled off again. Cody's fingers slid out of Nick's hair and he dug them hard into the blankets on either side of his hips, digging the fingernails in deep.

"God, Nick! Nick!" He could hear himself talking, fairly shouting, but couldn't focus on the words. Couldn't focus on anything but heat, and motion, and God, _Nick's_ mouth on his dick, _Nick_ sucking his cock and stroking him hard and _Nick_ going down on him.

He was thrusting, despite the arm across his hips, short, jerky motions, frustrated by the arm barring his way. He wanted more, wanted deeper, wanted to bury himself in Nick's mouth. Nick seemed oblivious to everything but his task, though, sucking and bobbing and moaning around the head. His fist was rubbing and squeezing him in time with his mouth, but it was the wet heat that had Cody's mind fogging and making it impossible to think though. The hand felt good, but it was the lips wrapped around him and the tongue teasing his slit that had his full focus.

"Nick! So close, so...Nick!" His hips were trying to move, and the more focused Nick got, the more his arm eased, giving Cody more room to move. He wanted to keep his hips still, and thrust in deep at the same time. "So _close_, Nick--!"

Nick groaned and finally seemed to hear the words. He pulled off, causing Cody to gasp at the sudden shock of air hitting his dick, as both the hand and mouth left him, but before he could say anything, both of Nick's hands were on his hips. The full weight of Nick's body was holding him down, now, hands pressing him into place, holding him still against the bed, and Nick's mouth was not only back on Cody's dick, he was taking Cody deeper then ever.

Cody couldn't think past the pleasure, past the blinding heat. His eyes kept sliding closed, but even closed, he could see the image of Nick's lips wrapped around his cock, a look of concentration and pleasure mixing on his features. His hips kept trying to thrust, but with Nick holding him like this, it was futile. Nick had full control, he could do whatever he wanted, he could go as deep as he wanted, and all Cody could do was lie back and feel.

The realization that he was completely powerless was the final straw; Cody felt his dick pulsing and the blood rushing though his whole body became deafening. All he could hear was the sound of blood in his ears and Nick groaning and sucking him down.

It was incredible, he'd never felt so good in his life. Nick kept sucking at him, even as Cody's orgasm started to ease, and Cody's body jerked and spasmed as smaller aftershocks passed through him. Finally it started to be too much, and he managed to pry his fingers away from the cloth and pull Nick up, pull him off.

Nick didn't want to go, kept trying to suck and nuzzle, but Cody was getting painfully sensitive now. Finally, with a draw of strength from some unknown place, he managed to pull Nick up, pull him across his body and up to his lips.

He could taste himself in Nick's mouth. He'd never tasted himself before, and the combination of himself and _Nick_ was delicious.

Nick was nearly whimpering now, his hips thrusting his dick against Cody's stomach.

 

Cody tore his mouth away, groaning into Nick's hair as Nick whimpered again and continued to rut against him. "I want to see you." He groaned, biting at Nick's ear. "God, Nick, please, I want to see you. Touch yourself, _please_, I can hardly move, but _God_, I want to see you--"

The sound Nick made was incredible, not whimper, not groan, not moan, but something of all three. He sat up, flinging his leg over Cody's, sitting back, hips to hips, Cody's limp dick nestled against his ass. Nick had his hand wrapped around himself almost as soon as he was upright. Cody's hands were against Nick's hips instantly, digging in hard enough to leave bruises as Nick's hand began to blur.

The motion was hard and fast and within seconds he was shooting across Cody's chest. Nick fell forward, one hand coming up to catch himself, propping himself upright as he continued to jerk though his orgasm, braced across Cody's chest as he came.

Cody couldn't tear his eyes away, it was an image he hadn't even known he'd wanted to see so badly, and now it was one of the best things he'd _ever_ seen.

Nick's breath was ragged and gasping as his hand finally eased, and then stilled. Cody drew his hands upward, gliding along every muscle, every bone, until both hands were buried in Nick's hair, pulling him into a kiss as deep as he could make it. They were both so out of breath, though, it ended up being scattered, all lips and tongue and gasps for air. Nick finally lost the last of his strength and collapsed on top of him, burying his face in Cody's neck as they both tried to get their breath back.

"That," Cody finally managed to gasp out, "was your best idea ever."

Nick laughed into his shoulder, rolling onto his back and falling off Cody's chest. "Wait until I show you the skin rag hidden under the mattress." He laughed. "You'll think I'm a genius."

Cody lost it in a fit of giggles, rolling over onto Nick's shoulder to laugh into his neck. For once, they both did fall asleep, messy and naked on top of the covers, the door to the room still hanging wide open.

Sometime after sunset, they woke, and showered, and foraged in the kitchen for a dinner of crackers and soup. They did actually study some, but they quickly became distracted by the idea of actually sleeping together, of sharing a bed and waking up in each other's arms.

Finally around midnight, they gave up, and decided to call it a night. Nick returned to his sweats, and Cody a pair of briefs, neither bothering with shirts. They had worn pajamas on the camping trip because the mountains had been cold, and the extra layers were needed, even in the late spring, but here in the lowlands, the air was just warm enough for them to not need much of anything. It was the perfect time of the year, not so hot they couldn't sleep, but not so cold that they _needed_ the blankets. This was a short period of grace for Southern California, and Cody always loved it.

Nick's bed was a little small for two teenagers of their size, but they buried themselves in close and didn't mind the necessity of their tangled limbs.

Rather then fooling around, they found themselves talking, the same easy back and forth they'd always shared. Once again, Cody found himself tucked into Nick's shoulder, though he refused to call it snuggling. He felt safe. He felt _wonderful_.

"You know, I never thought I'd have a high school sweetheart," he mused. "I mean, I figured I'd have to get a girlfriend at some point, but I never actually expected it to be someone I _cared_ about."

Nick laughed, "Yeah, I know what you mean. Honestly, I was about five minutes away from asking out Natalie, because I figured she was safer then anyone else."

Cody nodded. "Seems kinda weird to know I'll actually _be_ with someone. Even if, you know, no one _else_ knows we're with anyone."

"Someday they will."

Cody snorted. "Yeah, right, I can see that going down real well. My parents already hate you, if they knew we were sleeping together, well..." He trailed off. For all their faults, Cody loved and wanted to stay close to his parents.

"Exactly, so what do I got to lose?" Nick sounded just a little too gleeful to be taken seriously. "Some day we'll run off to a place where no one will care. We'll move outta this town, go somewhere that no one knows us, where no one knows our families. We'll get a place together, and let people figure it out if they want to."

Cody smiled and let out a soft chuckle, "I always wanted to live on a boat. A _real_ boat, not those be-sailed monstrosities of excess my parents love to parade around in."

"Well there you go then." Nick nodded decisively. "We'll move somewhere up along the coast, and get a boat together. It'll have to be kinda small, so we have to share a room, and if anyone asks why we share a room, we just point out, 'well, it's a boat, it's not like we can just add on a guest room if we get visitors'."

Cody laughed into Nick's shoulder. "Yeah, like that's gonna fool anyone."

"No, no, you're right, we'll also need a reason for spending all our time together." He mused for a moment. "We'll have to go into business together." He nodded once, as if pleased with his brilliant solution. "It's California on the beach, we can teach volleyball or scuba diving! Yeah, that'd make perfect sense! We can use our boat for both our business and our home, say it's saving us a ton of cash in both rent and business expenses."

Cody just kept laughing.

"We can start even sooner than that. We're in high school, we'll be expected to wear class rings senior year, and they all look alike, no one will notice if we wear each other's. I'm already lettering in two sports, I doubt anyone would notice if you wore my jackets occasionally."

"I think they'd notice."

"Okay, then, you can find a sport, too." He poked Cody in the side. "How do you feel about Mathletes?"

Cody snorted and pushed himself upward to stare down at Nick. "_Mathletes_? _That's_ what you want me to letter in?"

Nick was grinning widely, "Yeah, you'd look _great_ in a set of coke-bottle glasses and a corduroy jacket." He brushed his hands along Cody's arms. "With leather patches at the elbows."

"Right, while you grow up to be a flower-child with a bandanna on your forehead, out teaching beach volleyball in California's to beautiful women."

"I thought we were teaching scuba diving?"

Cody rolled his eyes and settled down against Nick's chest again. "Why don't we just become private detectives, that's about as believable."

"Hey, whatever you want, babe, nothing's too good for you."

They both dissolved into laughter.

It was the best sleep over Cody ever had.


End file.
